American Landing For Scottsville

The exciting Brett Crawford trained East Cape Derby winner American Landing is amongst the eighteen entries for the all-ages Gr3 Track & Ball Derby to be run at Scottsville on Saturday  23 June.

American Landing – lightly raced and on the upgrade

Derby Day at Scottsville includes the Gr3 Track & Ball Oaks and with the two former classic races now being staged as open weight-for-age events, large and strong entries have been received for the 2400m clashes.

This year 18 colts and geldings have been entered for the Derby of which seven are three-year-olds while 24 fillies and mares, of which 11 are three-year-olds, have been nominated for the Oaks.

The Track & Ball Derby entries include horses that have featured well in top races with the three-year-old runaway winner of the Eastern Cape Derby, American Landing, looking to carry his form through for trainer Brett Crawford. He could come up against a number of Vodacom Durban July entries including the Justin Snaith-trained Strathdon that ran a brilliant race in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup where he was just touched off by stable companion Made To Conquer.

Last year’s winner Mr Winsome is also back to defend his title.

Mr Winsome wins the Derby in 2017

Royal Crusade, Roy Had Enough, It’s My Turn, The Slade and the mare Girl On The Run are other July entries among the nominees.

The three-year-old Go Deputy filly Flichity By Farr from the Alyson Wright stable, runner up to Secret Potion in the SA Oaks at Turffontein and an entry for the Vodacom Durban July, heads the strong entry for the Track & Ball Oaks where she could be tested by Leaves Of Grass and Raya Baya that filled the first two places in the Jamaica Handicap at Kenilworth in January.

The Australian-bred Ngaga won the East Coast Handicap over 2 000m for Andre Nel and the Geoff Woodruff-trained Bi Pot was beaten just half a length into second place behind Sabina’s Dynasty in the Gerald Rosenberg at Turffontein with Girl On The Run in third place in that race.

Ngaga – Oaks entry

With the Vodacom Durban July final declarations due 48 hours after the running of these two features, good performances here could go some way to swaying the panel.